Gift Stories

At first, Alyssa and her family thought it was just strep throat. But the (almost) 15-year-old could not kick a fever that spiked up and down. So back to the doctor they went. After the blood work results came in, Alyssa’s mom was told to get in the car and drive Alyssa straight to the…

Ten-year-old Kyle is the kind of kid who makes friends with everyone. His mom says teachers and counsellors often pair him with kids being picked on or kids with disabilities because he is always kind and has a way of drawing them into a group. So it was out of character last June when Kyle…

Jocelyn’s parents noticed it first – a slight flashing or glowing when their daughter moved her right eye. They did not know what to make of it.  Then this photograph, taken at Jocelyn’s third birthday party, captured it. A trip to the pediatrician turned into a trip to the ophthalmologist which turned into a trip to…

For 4-year-old Maybin, it all started with a small limp about a year and a half ago. The doctor thought she just needed some ibuprofen for swollen knees. But over the next few days, she declined rapidly, so the doctor did blood work. What followed was a word no one wanted to hear: leukemia. Since then, Maybin’s…

Six-year-old Braden has been in the cancer game so long that he actually met Summer Dale. Of course, he doesn’t remember; he was only two years old. They met in the cancer clinic one day and exchanged wristbands with their names on them. Summer wore Braden’s for a very long time. That was four years ago,…

Liz had just finished high school and was taking a year off before she started college. But her plans were derailed when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia. After that, going to college was off the table…and so was being a carefree teenager. Her life became all about enduring chemotherapy, getting a stem cell transplant,…

Up until she was five years old, Audrey’s life was pretty normal. Then, after an exhilarating night of trick-or-treating, she started complaining of leg and stomach pains. At first, her parents figured it was too much candy and running around. But within ten days, doctors had a diagnosis that shocked everyone: neuroblastoma, a cancer of…

A year ago last March, five-year-old Brantley woke up acting strangely. He was dropping things — like a whole bag of cereal on the floor. Then he began to have trouble walking and swallowing and he could not move his left arm. Fearing meningitis, his mom raced him to the emergency room. A CT scan…

The group of Team Summer volunteers arrived early in the morning and worked tirelessly until late in the afternoon. They had a big job to do – build a swing set for a little girl. And if ever a little girl needed a place to play, it was 6-year-old Addy. Last August, her family noticed that her…

So far, three-year-old Bristol’s childhood has been anything but normal. And it’s not going to get normal any time soon. But given his rambunctious style, it’s hard to tell if he’s noticed! Last year, he started complaining that his arms and legs hurt, and he had unexplained fevers. Troubling, yes, but his parents never expected what…